April Book Club -- My Cousin Rachel

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars

My book hangover rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source:  Personal copy

Genre:  Classic fiction; mystery

Objectionable material: None

April Book Club choice

 

 

 

My Cousin Rachel…the original Gone Girl.

Rachel Ashley has buried 2 husbands…now she is after the wealth and trinkets of her deceased husband’s cousin…or is she?

Daphne du Maurier does what no other author can do – keep you guessing until the very last word.

She creates tension, doubt, atmosphere, and character tone that changes instantly.

More than once I wanted to vocally scream at the page – “Philip Ashley – are you crazy? What are you doing?” How many authors have the literary power to evoke such audible emotions?

This was a psychological thriller, with the beauty of a Cornish estate. Or possibly…Gone Girl meets Downton Abbey.

Final word of caution…be wary of your house guests and their tea.

 

May Book Club choice:

 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

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Book Review -- The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

My enjoyment rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Book hangover rating:  4 or 5 stars

Source:  Personal copy

Genre:  Juvenile Fiction (Newbery Honor Book)

Objectionable material: none

 

 

Calpurnia (Callie) Tate was born a century too soon. More interested in bugs and botany than stitchery and pie making, Callie has blossomed into an inquisitive young lady, thanks to her scientific Granddad. But her mother has other plans – her tatting is terrible, her cooking inedible – Callie must spend more time in the kitchen and less time in Granddad’s lab. But in the few moments of her spare time, she is able to read Darwin’s Theory of Evolution – even if she doesn’t quite understand it.

What a wonderful, robust novel about a turn of the century (20th) girl who has dreams far beyond a farming Texas homestead.

Reading about the family life of the Tate’s was a delight on each page. The relationship between Callie and her brothers (she had 7 of them!) was each unique and special. But the key to it all was Callie’s bond to her grandfather: a Civil War veteran, with a penchant for storytelling and distillery, who took his granddaughter under “his wing” and taught her about dreams and discovery.

One of the many reasons why I loved this book was it reminded me of my grandmother – she was a scientist (a pharmacist) – the first woman to practice in the state of Oklahoma. Oh how I wanted to talk to her while reading this book.

An absolute gem of a book – I highly recommend it for girls (and moms!) trying to achieve their dreams – and, fortunately, at a time when it is all possible.

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Book Review -- Small Acts of Amazing Courage

Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan

My enjoyment rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book hangover rating:  1 of 5 stars

Source: Library copy

Genre:  Juvenile Fiction

Objectionable material:  none

In 1919, Rosalind James would be considered a rebel: defying her parents by listening to the oratory of Gandhi, saving neglected Indian children and helping place them in orphanages, traveling alone on a steamer back to her “native” England whilst helping quell an on board cholera epidemic, helping her spinster Aunt and guardian gain independence from the aunt’s intolerant sister, and inviting a local Indian friend to dinner in spite of the racial implications.

Rosalind does indeed exhibit “small acts of amazing courage” in Gloria Whelan’s juvenile novel about a military family in British colonial India after WWI.

This was a quaint novel – a bit disjointed and muddled – but Rosalind is a delight and I loved her spunk, especially when helping her spinster aunt break free from the evil Aunt Ethyl.

A nice background to British colonial politics and the rise of Gandhi as well.

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Book Review -- The Silver Linings Playbook

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book hangover rating:  3 of 5 stars (still trying to process it all)

Source:  Personal copy

Genre:  Contemporary fiction

Objectionable material: language, including the F-bomb 

Pat Peoples has 3 obsessions: his estranged wife, his exercise routine, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pat has also spent the past few years in a mental facility because of obsession #1 and an incident that occurred during their marriage. Now living at home, Pat is seeing his therapist, trying to reconnect with his Dad, and watching his beloved Eagles and rookie wide receiver, Hank Baskett.

But Pat is still convinced that his “apart time” with wife is merely temporary and he is determined to communicate with her, even if it means giving up his football team for a brief period of time.

This novel was NOTHING what I expected. I delayed watching the movie because I wanted to read the book first. And even with all the visual trailers and Oscar media, I still had no clue what this book was ultimately about (kudos to their marketing team). Truly – I was expecting a guys’ football book. But it was so much more: it was relationships, trust, friends, family, broken promises, faith, starting over.

Author Matthew Quick has written a quirky and creative novel that highlights the effects of mental illness and the importance of family and friends (and meds) in finding a way back to “normalcy.”

Oh…and Hank Baskett – he only caught 6 TD passes in his entire NFL career that lasted 5 yrs, and is now married to a Playboy bunny.

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Book Review -- Heart Warrior

Heart Warriors: A Family Faces Congenital Heart Disease by Amanda Rose Adams

My enjoyment rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book hangover rating:  4 out of 5 stars (I will never stop pondering those who suffer from congenital heart disease)

Source:  ARC provided by the author (I was not compensated in anyway for my review)

Genre:  Memoir; non-fiction

Objectionable material:  Minor language.  (Trust me, when you think your kid is going to die -- Fbombs are often common.)

I am a member of the club.

The vast club of mothers who have children with congenital heart defects – the number one birth defect in children.

It’s a club I highly recommend NOT joining.

However, it is comforting to find other mothers (families) who have go through the same experiences, seen your children’s chest ripped open, and worry constantly about their future health.

Amanda Rose Adams in her memoir, Heart Warriors, details in passionate, loving and painful details the story of her son, Liam, and his battle to repair his “broken heart.”

For much of the book I was experiencing “survivor’s guilt” because our son does not have the same type of CHD, nor has his heart-road been nearly as difficult (at least to this point). As Amanda relates the number of air-transports, hospital visits, surgeries, cath labs – I almost put the book down because I didn’t feel like my son was sick enough to continue. Max, after one surgery, is a normal little boy, with absolutely no restrictions or medications. Will that change, possibly, but I live in a dream that I can often forget his condition.

But I’m grateful for Amanda and her quest for not only Liam, but for all children with congenital heart disease.

As a mother, I am not worthy.

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Book Review -- Me Before You

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

My enjoyment rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Book hangover rating:  2 of 5 stars (new to GDD -- book hangover -- once you close the cover, how long do you think, linger, over the completed book? How long does it take to start a new one?  Scale 1-5; 1  forgotten once you close the cover -- 5 Can't stop thinking about it!)

Source:  Library

Genre:  Contemporary fiction

Objectionable material: some minor language, including Fbomb

 

Will’s confined to a wheelchair – Louisa’s hired to be his aide – both have physical and emotional baggage that they are trying to resolve – together they must deftly navigate their current circumstances, and most importantly, their future.

Author, JoJo Moyes, has written a very unique love story involving a former corporate raider, now paraplegic, and his very eccentric caregiver.

Will is hardened by his diminished condition and not willing to let anyone, including his family, help him. Louisa is hired by his parents to do just that: break through his steely exterior to try to help Will recognize that life is still worth living.

I was intrigued by the concept of this novel – two unlikely confidants, forced to work together (or, against each other as the case may be) and the beautiful relationship that develops.

As much as I liked this book – it was quintessentially British, it was witty, I enjoyed the progression of Will and Louisa’s relationship – in the back of my mind, I kept wondering, how authentic was it, exactly?  Did the author accurately portray the life of a paraplegic? Did she make it too easy? I wasn’t entirely convinced.

My best friend, Heather, was a personal caregiver – I’m desperate for her to read this to give me her professional opinion.

Regardless, this was an emotionally powerful book, and one that you might shed a tear, or two, or a lot of them.

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Book Review -- The Yellow House

The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey
My enjoyment rating: 3 of 5 stars
Source:  Personal copy
Genre: Historical fiction
Objectionable material:  one use of the F-bomb; sexual innuendo
Read for Ladies of Literature book club

Set in Northern Ireland in the early 1900s, the story of The Yellow House centers around Eileen O'Neill as she grows up during a turbulent time in Ireland's history. Spanning 20 years, the story picks up during her childhood, as the family falls into poverty and tragedy sets the tone for Eileen's struggles. Working in a mill, in dangerous conditions, she saves her money and dreams of reuniting her family in the home of her childhood, hoping to bring back happier times.

Along the way, she finds herself torn between two men, and torn by her own will and the will of others. Her family history and the current political landscape shape Eileen's journey, and secrets and betrayals leave their mark.

I wanted to love this book: historical fiction, turn of the century Ireland, independent female protagonist – it had all the markings of a novel I would normally swoon over.

I did not.

The author did provide a rich and luscious narrative about turn of the century, politically unbalanced Ireland. If nothing else….I came away from this book with a much better understanding of the Anglo/Gaelic discord over the past 100 years and the Irish civil war.

However, the story was all rather predictable: struggling family trying to make ends meet; marital friction; Romeo/Juliet-type romantic tension between two characters; conflicted story lines that seamlessly worked themselves out to make a very happy ending. All too neat and tidy for such a turbulent time period.

This novel certainly aims to be an epic, Irish novel – but ultimately it was slow, plodding and quite often, repetitive.

My blogging friend Corinne loved this book – for a difference of opinion, please consider her lovely thoughts.

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February Book Club -- Wyrd Sisters

Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

My enjoyment rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source:  Personal copy

Genre:  Science Fiction; Fantasy

Objectionable material:  Not a single thing.

Double, double toil and trouble

Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. Macbeth Act 4, Scene 1

When Duke Felmet kills King Verence and names himself the new King of Lancre, Verence's ghost haunts the castle and his young son is smuggled out of the kingdom and taken to a coven of three witches for protection. These witches bestow three gifts upon the baby and place him with the owner of an acting troupe. The new king is an evil one, and the entire kingdom (animal, vegetable, and mineral) expresses its displeasure. How could the witches possibly refrain from using their magic skills to meddle in royal politics, place the rightful heir on the throne, and set things right?

This was my first foray into Discworld and the writings of Terry Pratchett. All I can say is – what took me so long!

Every character is uniquely hilarious:

• The three witches – Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick – can ride circles around the kingdom and lead wayward kings back home to their kingdom.

• Fool – aide to the current King – but not as foolish as the royal couple might think.

• Tomjon – an actor by trade, but a noble by birth, he’d much rather be on stage than on a throne.

• Hwel (Will?) – playwright extraordinaire, with a passing familiarity to the Bard.

• Death – he’s always there, waiting.

The story is a clever lampoon of Shakespeare from the opening scene onwards. It's a fast-paced romp through a parody of scenes, themes, and lines from Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III and many more. Pratchett also throws in references to Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty (not to mention others I have probably missed). Not only is it a spoof of Shakespeare – but also a mash up of Shakespeare in Love, The Princess Bride and Monty Python.

I haven’t howled reading a book in a very long time. Dare I say, I was bewitched?

It was wickedly funny.

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Mother Daughter Book Club -- Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

My enjoyment rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
February Mother Daughter Book Club choice

Source:  Personal Copy

Genre:  YA; Dystopian (12 and up)

Objectionable material:  mild violence; use of guns

Remember Jaime Sommers? The Bionic Woman? One day, happily dating Steve Austin, on the way to being married, when she is tragically hurled to earth in a catastrophic sky diving accident. When she awakens from her injuries and surgery – she has been repaired: new ears, new arm, new legs – bigger, better, stronger.

That’s how I envisioned Cinder, Marissa Meyer’s spunky heroine, in her dystopian mashup of the fairy tale Cinderella: Cinder, hurled to earth to be saved from the Lunar people, rebuilt with mechanical parts that make her a Cyborg (was Jaime really a cyborg afterall?), trying to save her planet and her Emperor (who also happens to be super cute).

Surprisingly – I liked this.

Cinder was an easy character to embrace: she was dogged by her stepmother and step sister, bullied by the mainstream humans – but yet, she was able to rebuild robots, droids and cars, flirt with the hottie Prince, had an awesome sidekick, Iko, and was able to withstand the evil Queen Levana. She was one tough cookie.

I knew going into this that it was a series (Scarlet #2 in the Lunar Chronicles) – so the ending wasn’t really and ending. Which rots. I’m not sure I’m that invested in Cinder to read the remaining to see what happens…but I would like to know how it ends. Oh well.

This was our Mother/Daughter book club choice for February.

We haven’t met yet – and normally I wait and post my thoughts until I get feedback from the girls. But, there is a significant chance we won’t be there on Tuesday.

Daisy daughter still hasn’t finished this. It’s totally NOT in her literary comfort zone (not a single cupcake was baked). We shall see.

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Book Review -- The Secret Keeper

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

My enjoyment rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source:  Copy provided by publisher (I was not compensated in any way for my review)

Genre:  Literary Fiction; Historical Fiction

Objectionable material:  None! (So refreshing!)

What do your children know about your past?

Your work experience? Your pastimes? Who you dated?

Your secrets before you were their mom?

In Kate Morton’s, The Secret Keeper, we delve intimately into those questions and the mysteries that surround Dorothy Smithson Nicolson, who on a beautiful summer’s day murdered a stranger who visited at her English countryside home. What Dorothy doesn't realize was that her teenage daughter, Laurel, was the only witness to Dorothy’s actions. Now 50 years later, as Dorothy’s health declines and her memories become random comments voiced to her children, Laurel is determined to find out more about her mother’s past, her family, and ultimately, why she made such a fateful decision that day.

No mincing words – I loved this book!

In vintage Kate Morton fashion, she weaves a story using mothers and daughters, past and present, mystery and secrets, to create an epic WWII historical drama that kept me reading every waking moment.

It’s impossible to even try to talk about the story line, without the risk of unveiling any of Ms. Morton’s literary twists – but for a week, I was oblivious to anything 21st century.

Truth be told…I loved this MORE than The Forgotten Garden.

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